Packages combining several semiconductor devices can simplify circuit design, reduce costs, and provide greater efficiency and improved performance by keeping related and dependent circuit components in close proximity. Furthermore, these packages can facilitate application integration and greater electrical and thermal performance compared to using separate packaging for components.
In conventional clip based packages, a top clip has a tendency to rotate with respect to a bottom leadframe due to vibration and other factors, for example, during the fabrication process. Such rotation is undesirable because it can cause contact points between the clip and one or more semiconductor dies below the clip to completely lose or have intermittent electrical connection. In one conventional clip based package design, a clip has a protrusion metal on each end of a bent clip area. The protrusion metals of the clip are configured to fit in through-holes along one side of a leadframe to prevent the clip from rotating. However, designating areas on the leadframe for through-holes can undesirably reduce the area of leads, such as exposed fused leads, along the side of the leadframe, thereby adversely limiting the current carrying capability and connectivity of the clip based package.
Accordingly, there is a need to overcome the drawbacks and deficiencies in the art by providing a clip based semiconductor package that can secure a conductive clip to a leadframe to prevent clip rotation and allow a maximum area for exposed leads.